Don't Stop Moving: A Look at Pregnancy and Exercise

Exercise is often a swear word for many women after they find out that they are with child. Aren’t we told to put our feet up and rest as often as we can? How can we do that if we have to do exercise too? Surely something has to give? Well, it is actually possible to get a balance for both rest and exercise - a must during pregnancy.

You may be thinking if you are far along in your pregnancy that it is too late to start exercising now. You already look like the back end of a bus and you cannot even see past your belly to put your snazzy Lycra shorts on. In fact, it’s never too late to start exercising whether you are about to burst in the next week or still have a few months to go.

Tweaking Your Workout

Of course, there are reasons why you may not be able to exercise and these are mainly medical. If you have certain conditions and you have been advised by your doctor not to exercise then you are excused from gym class. The rest of you do not have to push yourself to be able to get the modest amount of exercise that you actually need.

Even just doing simple exercises (which are also free) like walking or swimming can all be enough exercise to keep your body ticking nicely during pregnancy. If you did not exercise before you became pregnant but have the okay from your doctor, you can indulge in these light forms of exercise. Should you wish to pick up the pace after a while, then you are free to do so.

Perhaps you were a fitness fanatic before you fell pregnant and are wondering whether you need to tone it right down. Well again, as long as you are fit enough and do not have any medical conditions, then you can carry on. Unless you played a sport like rugby, in which case it would be a good idea to give it a miss -- you don’t want to be doing any activities that may harm you and your baby. Of course, you will need to adjust your exercises as your trimester’s progress. But this does not mean that you have to stop exercising altogether.

Are You Overdoing It?

So how do you know if you are overdoing it? Well, you should not be gasping for breath and wheezing when you are exercising. Any pain, discomfort, dizziness or difficulty breathing is a signal to stop what you are doing. Most women are pretty in tune with their bodies and recognize the signals that tell them when it is time to stop. This is no different when you are pregnant – listen to and take guidance from your body.